Our 34th Anniversary: What’s Changed and What’s Stayed the Same

Our 34th Anniversary: What’s Changed and What’s Stayed the Same

A lot changes in 34 years, especially in the world of advertising. When founders Jeff Westrom and Dave Morton went into business on this day in 1984, they never expected that almost every tool in their toolbox would be outdated in less than a decade. What used to take two months to complete, can now be done in two weeks. What used to take two weeks, we now do in two days. What used to take two days, now takes two hours. What used to take two hours, we now do in two minutes. What’s changed in 34 years? What hasn’t? Let’s take a look back.

What’s changed since 1984:

1. No longer working off card tables in Jeff’s mother’s basement.
2. Only computer we had was for word processing, so designers could have type set. (Look it up)
3. Fax machines burned the image into the receiver’s paper a line at a time.
4. There was no FedEx.
5. There was no colored toner.
6. There was no internet.
7. There was no Google.
8. There was no e-mail.
9. There was no GPS.
10. There were no cell phones.
11. No DVDs, flash drives or cloud storage.
12. The only place you could watch television was on the television.
13. The only place you could listen to the radio was on the radio.
14. All production art was done as paste-up or keyline.
15. All photography was previewed on Polaroid and then shot on film.
16. All video was shot on film or tape.
17. Four of our twelve associates weren’t even born yet.

What’s stayed the same since 1984:

18. Same two owners.
19. Same two owner’s wives.
20. Same location – St. Andrews NE.
21. Same phone number – 319-378-1081.
22. Same fax number – 319-378-1827.
23. Jeff still doesn’t have a cell phone. (Really)
24. Dave still stays late most nights.
25. Jeff still goes home for lunch every day.
26. Scott still rides his bike every day over lunch.
27. Birthdays still celebrated each month with Kathy’s Pies.
28. ADDY Entries are still completed just moments before they’re due.
29. Dave still says “There is no such thing as a short-sleeved dress shirt!”
30. Jeff still says “Presentation is everything.”
31. Same careful consideration of each new associate being brought onboard.
32. Same model for new business – referral.
33. Same devotion to relationships first, marketing second, creative third.
34. Same commitment to marketing solutions that grow our client’s business.